The elegance and ease of e-design projects.........

Good morning! How was your weekend? Half of mine was spent thinking I was getting sick (and feeling it). Thankfully it appears its not more than a cold....phew! The other half was spent in one of my favorite kitchen stores...Sur La Table and then dinner with friends (more on that later).  One thing  I have started doing more of in the last six months is e-design work. I have really enjoyed it because its allows me to get back to designing (which I LOVE) and help people (sometimes halfway across the country) without either of us ever leaving our computer screens! Really gets my creative juices flowing!  It is a highly efficient way of "getting the job done".

This is a part of my business  I am planning to grow this year (one of many goals) and as I am finishing up two jobs, I will decide the next course of action. It's such a great way to get the design services you might want/ need for a fraction of the cost and definitely is a huge time saver. So you get the elegant look you are after, its far easier and much less expensive..it's a win/win! In the meantime, I wanted to share with you (with their permission of course) a few finished products.

  This first project is for a young couple in California. They are just married two years, bought their first home in California and wanted  a fresh feeling, comfortable sophisticated living room. She loved the idea of incorporating the blue and white (gotta love her) to add some elegance and tradition, he wanted it to feel light and airy, not stuffy and they both love green. They liked the idea of a  lantern instead of a chandelier, and preferred lighter woods over dark heavy woods. So after a few back and forths, here's is what I came up. They loved it all and this entire room is now officially in the works. I want to illustrate how even when on a budget, you can adopt the high/low approach. The most expensive things here were the rug and console. They were willing to spend money on a few principle pieces, but we got the sofa, chairs and coffee table on sale.  The pillows I found at Pier One, that gorgeous velvet pillow was under 15.00!!!!! The blue and whites and blue and white lamps are from my store and the crystal lamps were found at Overstock. The wife, who is a photographer is going to do a gallery wall for art, and I suggested getting unpainted frames all the same size and painting them the same green as the pillows for an extra pop and they love the idea. A little creative thinking goes a long long way! I love the feeling of this room, fresh, light and airy, a touch of blue and white, pops of the green....it has all the ingredients that made up their perfect recipe! 

  This second project was for a dark green sofa and pillows. It was for a small existing office/library, very small but cozy. I helped her select this sofa and fabric and then she wanted to add needlepoint pillows to incorporate the other rich tones of the room/home. So we came up with 3 combinations and she is leaning towards one. She thought it would be fun for me to ask your opinions so here's where you get to weigh in. Which would be your choice, 1, 2 or 3? Do tell! The only other things in this small room are a mahogany desk and dark brown leather chair. There is an antique carpet that is all jewel tones and a small window with a pleated roman shade in a dark tan. She wanted and loved the idea of adding a leopard pillow (or two) so each features that.......take a look! 

  This last one is a project in the works.....we are starting with a small entry foyer. An empty nester, she decided to go very light and airy in her new home.  She already has an off white berber rug on hardwood floors.. Its a small townhouse, and she wants a welcoming smaller scaled console with a mirror and she loves blue and white. (I think I need to make this a prerequisite for anyone who hires me for e--design, lol). So here are the three picks, she is leaning towards one and I am torn between two...how about you?

 I would love to hear your feedback on which you like. I have to say I had loads of fun working on these projects, and the icing on the cake is when you come up with something that the client really loves! If you are interested in e-design contact me here for details.Thanks for stopping by and wishing all of you a fabulous day!

Sundays Random musings and a mini house update!

Hi there! Hope your weekend is going well. Ours has been a busy one, busier truth be told than I would have liked. I had visions of me staying in my pjs all weekend long, just chilling. So did not happen. We had people working all over the place yesterday, then we went into the city for a birthday party last night and today my darling husband has invited our friends over, whose house we go to every single year for the Superbowl. Now I totally understand his not wanting to leave our house, having just moved, I feel the same way but having to suddenly prepare a Superbowl spread kind of caught me off guard as I have been so busy all week so engrossed in unpacking and settling in. 
He also invited two of our other friends over (brothers) so we will be a total of nine. I decided I am doing an appetizer party, who needs dinner when you can have a bevy of wonderful, delectable tapas type foods? Anyone else with me on this?  So I am preparing some things and buying others,  my three favorites are my pesto/feta dip served with warmed crostinis, my empenadas and my baked brie, then I am buying sliders, pigs in a blanket, a Parmesan artichoke dip, am doing a big tray of Italian cheeses and sausages with breads, and another dish with guacamole, humus and salsa and tortillas. Then finally I am picking up a tray of sushi from a nearby Japanese restaurant that is excellent. With luck, there will be some leftovers for Monday! The idea being if I serve enough it is sure to yield a nice arrangement of leftovers.
One of my best friends stopped over the other day and gave me the most beautiful miniature (about 2 feet tall) white azalea plant and knowing me well, had it planted in a gorgeous blue and white container. It looks amazing no matter where I put it! It looks so pretty on the console in my family room, proof that blue and white really does work anywhere! She also generously gave me a beautiful coffee table book,Versailles, which has so many incredible images, recommended for anyone in love with France like I am.  I had to share a few pictures. So what about you? Are you excited about the Superbowl or are you like me, and its all about the food? Would love to hear what you are up to! 

If you are thinking at this point "gee how many pictures is she going to take of the same thing" I got it out of my system, not to worry...when I love something I get a little carried away!

And another one of my oldest and dearest friends stopped by with this beautiful little Wedgewood bud vase. So delicate and sweet. Can't wait to add a pretty rose to it.

And finally we uncovered just the tower part of the floors (after being so sick of seeing them covered for the last 6 months)!! So nice to see the floors again!

Here's the newest iron chandelier for breakfast room, we are putting it up hopefully tomorrow or Tues. Fingers crossed it looks great!

Remember the vanity I was unsure about for powder room, well we found a new home for it..and I love it here.

Looks a little bare, but wtih lighting, sconces and accessories, its perfect. 

Well, I am off to the market to beat the pre Superbowl frenzy fighting for food like its the Apocalypse or something. Wishing you a fun day whatever you might be doing! Go Giants! (I had to say it)